何西阿宣布对以色列的惩罚
1以色列啊，
不要欢喜快乐，
不要像外族人那样欢喜快乐！
因为你对你的上帝不忠不贞，
在各麦场上喜爱卖淫得资财。
2但麦场上的谷物将不够养活你们，
榨酒池里也将缺乏新酒。
3你们将不能再住在耶和华的土地上。
以法莲要返回埃及，
在亚述吃不洁之物。
4你们将不能再献奠祭给耶和华，
你们的祭牲也不蒙悦纳。
这些祭物如居丧之人的食物，
吃的人都被玷污。
你们的食物只能供自己吃，
不能带进耶和华的殿。
5在耶和华所定的节期里，
你们要做什么呢？
6即使你们逃脱毁灭之灾，
埃及人也要把你们聚集起来，
在摩弗埋葬你们。
你们的珍贵银器要散落在荆棘中，
你们的帐篷中要长满蒺藜。
7以色列人受惩罚的日子近了，
遭报应的时候到了！
这点你们要知道。
你们罪恶深重，充满憎恨，
以致你们说：
“先知是傻瓜，
被灵感动的人是疯子。”
8先知为了上帝做以法莲的守望者，
可是他走的路上布满网罗，
在他上帝的家里遭人憎恨。
9你们败坏至极，
恰如从前在基比亚的日子。
耶和华必记住你们的罪恶，
追讨你们的罪债。
10耶和华说：
“昔日我看见以色列时，
像在荒野看见葡萄；
看见你们的祖先时，
像在无花果树上看见初熟的果子。
但他们却祭拜巴力·毗珥，
把自己献给可耻的偶像，
变得像他们所爱的偶像一样可憎。
11以法莲人的荣耀要如鸟飞逝，
你们将不能受孕，
不能怀胎，
也不能生育。
12你们纵然把孩子养大，
我也要夺去他们的性命，一个也不留。
我撇弃你们的时候，
你们就有祸了！
13我看见以法莲栽种在草原上，美如泰尔，
但以法莲却要把孩子交给屠杀者。”
14耶和华啊，求你给他们——
你要给他们什么呢？
求你使他们子宫流产，乳房干瘪。
15耶和华说：
“因他们在吉甲的一切恶行，
我已憎恶他们。
因他们的恶行，
我要将他们逐出我的家，
不再爱他们，
他们的首领都是悖逆之人。
16以法莲要被击打，
他们的根将枯干，
再也不能结果。
就算他们能生儿育女，
我也要杀死他们心爱的孩子。”
17我的上帝必弃绝他们，
因为他们不听从祂。
他们必在列国中流离飘泊。
Israel Will Be Punished
1Israel, don’t be joyful.
Don’t be glad as the other nations are.
You haven’t been faithful to your God.
You love to get paid for being a prostitute.
Your pay is the grain at every threshing floor.
2But soon there won’t be any grain or wine to feed you.
There won’t even be any fresh wine.
3You won’t remain in the Lord’s land.
Ephraim, you will return to Egypt.
You will eat “unclean” food in Assyria.
4You won’t pour out wine offerings to the Lord.
Your sacrifices won’t please him.
They’ll be like the bread people eat when someone dies.
Everyone who eats those sacrifices will be “unclean.”
They themselves will have to eat that kind of food.
They can’t bring it into the Lord’s temple.
5What will you do when your appointed feasts come?
What will you do on the Lord’s special days?
6Some of you will escape without being destroyed.
But you will die in Egypt.
Your bodies will be buried at Memphis.
Weeds will cover your treasures of silver.
Thorns will grow up in your tents.
7The time when God will punish you is coming.
The day when he will judge you is near.
I want Israel to know this.
You have committed many sins.
And you hate me very much.
That’s why you think the prophet is foolish.
You think the person the Lord speaks through is crazy.
8People of Ephraim, the prophet, along with my God,
is warning you of danger.
But you set traps for him everywhere he goes.
You hate him so much
you even wait for him in God’s house.
9You have sunk very deep into sin,
just as your people did at Gibeah long ago.
God will remember the evil things they have done.
He will punish them for their sins.
10The Lord says,
“When I first found Israel,
it was like finding grapes in the desert.
When I saw your people of long ago,
it was like seeing the early fruit on a fig tree.
But then they went to Baal Peor.
There they gave themselves to that shameful god named Baal.
They became as evil as the god they loved.
11Ephraim’s greatness and glory will be gone.
It will fly away like a bird.
Women will no longer have children.
They will not be able to get pregnant.
12But suppose they do have children.
Then I will kill every one of them.
How terrible it will be for them
when I turn away from them!
13Tyre is planted in a pleasant place.
And so is Ephraim.
But the Assyrians will kill
Ephraim’s children.”
14Lord, what should you do to Ephraim’s people?
Give them women whose babies die before they are born.
Give them women whose breasts have no milk.
15The Lord says,
“My people did many evil things in Gilgal.
That is why I hated them there.
They committed many sins.
So I will drive them out of my land.
I will not love them anymore.
All their leaders refuse to obey me.
16Ephraim is like a worthless plant.
Its roots are dried up.
It does not produce any fruit.
Suppose Ephraim’s people have children.
Then I will kill the children they love so much.”
17My God will turn his back on his people.
They have not obeyed him.
So they will wander among other nations.
